The Rise of Reduction

A study published in 2016 by The University of Oxford found that widespread adoption of vegetarianism would cut food-related emissions into the environment by 63 per cent. However, the "all-or-nothing" requirements of a vegetarian or vegan diet limit many people from helping tackle climate change in this manner.

The term ‘flexitarian’ has been banded about a lot recently. In essence, it means following a predominantly vegetarian or vegan diet but including meat and dairy products occasionally. I guess the thinking behind it is to ‘listen to your body’ and assess what you need to eat as opposed to gorging on meat through habit. It’s all too easy to live a ‘greedy life’ these days and to make food choices based on ease and access. The rise of processed foods is testament to today’s convenience fueled lifestyles and is alarmingly linked to a simultaneous rise in disease and environmental disasters.

If jumping on the vegetarian or vegan or even the flexitarian bandwagon seems too daunting, why not go the reducetarian route, safe in the knowledge that you can still make a big difference. The movement is fully inclusive, applauding the smallest step to reducing meat or dairy right up to embracing a fully vegan diet.

The Reducetarian Concept:

A small change with a big impact - just one person’s decision to go meat free for just one meal could save the equivalent of 9 people's daily water usage, a carbon saving equivalent of boiling a kettle 388 times, an 11g fat saving and up to 90 calories.

Consume less. People will be healthier. The air will be cleaner. The earth will provide more. Animals will be happier. New markets will grow.